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Just fun-20 Reasons To Travel By Train Before The Age of 25
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Author:  J3a-614 [ Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:01 am ]
Post subject:  Just fun-20 Reasons To Travel By Train Before The Age of 25
I like No. 19--good for any age!

http://www.mtlblog.com/2014/10/20-reaso ... age-of-25/
Author:  Alan Walker [ Thu Oct 16, 2014 6:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just fun-20 Reasons To Travel By Train Before The Age of
Actually, they're mostly all good for any age. Also, if an engine decides to quit you either slow down or stop. Not so in the tin bird.

Only thing that can make it better is a vintage steam/diesel/electric locomotive on the point.
Author:  Bob Davis [ Tue Oct 21, 2014 9:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just fun-20 Reasons To Travel By Train Before The Age of
Some more thoughts on travel: If your after the age of 62, you get a discount on Amtrak (probably the same for VIA)
You can meet interesting people. While heading east on the Super Chief (after Amtrak, but before Santa Fe repossessed the service mark), I met an elderly gentleman who told me about Arizona and New Mexico when they were still Territories; he remembered how the cowboys would come into town (either Winslow or Gallup) on Saturday night and shoot the place up, and had a lot more stories about the real Old West.

It's easier to answer "the call of nature". On a fully-loaded jetliner, a window seat is nice because you get the proverbial "bird's eye view" of the country, but if the passengers in the aisle and middle seats have dozed off, having to wake them up, probably wait in line for the next available commode, and hope the "fasten seat belts" light doesn't come on does not make for a comfortable trip.

Even a train that's running late can have advantages. My wife and I took the Coast Starlight to Portland OR about 20 years ago, and "things happened". We wound up going through the upper Sacramento River Valley--beautiful mountain scenery with cascading waterfalls (that the train normally passed in the wee small hours of the morning) during daylight hours.
Author:  Alan Walker [ Wed Oct 22, 2014 2:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just fun-20 Reasons To Travel By Train Before The Age of
Not to mention that the coach seats are as big as the seats in the first class cabin on an airplane (for those airlines that still have it).
Author:  J3a-614 [ Wed Oct 22, 2014 8:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just fun-20 Reasons To Travel By Train Before The Age of
Alan Walker wrote:
Not to mention that the coach seats are as big as the seats in the first class cabin on an airplane (for those airlines that still have it).


A story, perhaps apocryphal, was about people who had to continue to travel in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11 and the following temporary cessation of air service.

Some of these people managed to get seats on Amtrak's Empire Builder on its run from Seattle to Chicago. They would have to travel coach, as all the sleeper space was sold out. When shown to their coach seats, they said to the conductor, "We thought we booked seats for coach. This looks like first class."

The conductor replied, "Ma'am, this is coach."

As terrible as that tragedy was, did we perhaps help get people interested in trains in the aftermath?
Author:  Alan Walker [ Thu Oct 23, 2014 12:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Just fun-20 Reasons To Travel By Train Before The Age of
Even though those of us who know what quality onboard rail service is grouse at the current quality of Amtrak service, we have to consider that compared to domestic airline service:

1) On most Amtrak trains, they actually feed you. Granted, you have to buy the food but at a minimum it's edible (usually). Most airlines won't even give you the pack of peanuts anymore.

2) The seats are actually designed to be comfortable.

3) If you tire of sitting in your seat, you can get up and wander around the other coaches, diner or lounge car (on trains that carry them).

4) The toilets are something a bit roomier than the airplane toilets.
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